Nine-year-old boy saves his mum's life by disobeying her

Kimberley Smith has hailed her nine-year-old son Camdyn a "hero" after he ignored her wishes and ended up saving her life.

The mum-of-three was caring for Camdyn's baby brother when she suffered chest pains and couldn't breathe.

"When I got home she had trouble breathing, and she said it hurt whenever she took a breath, so I told her she needed to go to the hospital, but she kept saying she just wanted to stay here", the young boy told local Washington radio station, King 5.

She told her son she was going to take a nap, but he refused to let her lie down.

"I kept saying that we needed to go", he explained. "So, I just went and got my shoes and coat on and told her we needed to go."

His persistence saved her life. She was rushed to hospital in an ambulance following a brief check-up by her GP. The emergency doctors found blood clots on both lungs and diagnosed her with pulmonary embolisms.

"If I had taken the nap, there’s a good chance it would’ve been a very different outcome", Kimberly told the news station. "A sad one."

Camdyn was able to spot the signs of his mum's hidden illness because of his school teacher, Timathi Fitzpatrick. She also suffers from pulmonary embolisms and had taught the class what to look for.

Kimberley is now recovering at home. She's praised her son's quick thinking.

"He is definitely my hero", she said. "They say your life flashes before your eyes, and it’s true. It makes you look at your kids in a whole different way."